The Light of Day

His smell hung heavily onto her body, his hot breath on her skin. She ran her fingers lightly along his skin, not wanting to disturb him. He was so beautiful as he slept. Suddenly a loud wind came up outside, causing the shutters to bang loudly against the windows, startling the lovers from their restful slumber. He quickly darted awake and started shouting, but she couldn't hear a sound. The room began to spin faster and faster as she tried to chase after him, shouting his name soundlessly. When the spinning finally stopped she was in an open field, but it was far from peaceful. The plain was burning and the sky was black. In her lap was a dirty cloth sack stained with blood. Hands shaking she undid the tie and let the sack fall to the ground. Her screams echoed across that empty world as the lifeless eyes stared back at her.

"Noooooo!!" Ylma started awake, sweat dripping down her face, knife in hand. Her hands shook as she tried to bring herself out of the dream. "No, no, no, no," she whimpered as the tears started flowing. There was a clatter as the knife dropped onto the hard, wood floor and through the window, thin streams of light started to shine through, announcing the coming of the dawn. The light of day was her only comfort now. Sleep was a curse that only haunted her with the most painful memories. "Dwyn," came a silent whisper as the sun rose over the horizon.

A large wolf, standing roughly three feet high at the shoulders and proportionately muscled, patrolled his territory. His white fur, unmarred by the lightly falling rain, stood out in the dark forest. He was not afraid of anything he may come across. Even bears made an effort to remain out of his path. He was Drachi, leader of his pack of Azureans living in exile, and he would have his presence known by any who sought to trespass.

In the distance, he heard the familiar wails and cries of sorrow. He did not know the person who lived there, nor had he seen the source or reason for the outcry, but he knew to leave well enough alone. He was powerful and strong, both in wolf form and human, but even he could not protect his people from every enemy.

"Stay close," he growled to a young wolf pup, not Azurean, who had decided to follow him on his patrol. "I'll return you to your mother later."

The young pup was small of stature, but more than made up for it in the amount of brown fur that surrounded him, every strand standing on end. Drachi chuckled to himself at the sight of the small wolf scrambling over fallen trees and under brambles to stay alongside Drachi.

The large wolf turned his head towards the direction of the wails, sniffing the air. He was closer now than he had been in a long time, and he could smell the person. It was a woman, though he had difficulty in discerning more, which was strange. He sat for awhile, staring through the thick forest to the small cabin in the distance. He could barely make out the walls and roof, but he knew the woman lived within it.

The pup yelped as it fell off a fallen tree, drawing Drachi's attention back to him. "Alright, young one," he said in the growling language of the Azureans, "let's get you home."

As the fit finally subsided, Ylma drew the tears from her eyes with her magic, magic that all of her race was gifted with, and formed the tears into a large drop of water. It didn't take much energy to do this, but it allowed her to focus her mind and center herself, leave the dangerous memories of the past behind. As she walked around her small two room house, she kept the ball of water floating over her hand. The light shone through it like a prism, and dozens of tiny rainbows flitted about the house whenever it came into contact with the rays of light. She quietly stepped outside of the house and walked to a small yellow rose that was blooming on the path and guided the water to the base of the bush. She let it loose its form as she guided it through the soil and to the roots of the flower.
"Good morning little rose," she spoke softly to it, "may my bitter tears bring about something good in this world."
Looking out across the forest she pined for her old life, for Dwyn and her village. Fire raged through her mind and the bloody memories returned with a great rush. With a stifled cry she took off running, her body crouching forward as she assumed her wolf form. The sad cries of a lone wolf echoed through the forest as the simple robe she had been wearing floated down to rest by the yellow roses.

Drachi ushered the little pup forward, nudging the reluctant youth with his paw. A growl worked to get it moving.

Soon, Drachi heard a howl of rage and sorrow echo through the trees. It came from the direction of the cabin. Part of him wanted to run to the howl and see what was the matter, but another part of him knew that he could not simply leave the pup alone in the dark forest. The pup's mother was close, but not so close that she could find her child unharmed.

But he was the leader of his pack, the oldest and strongest of them, both physically and in the use of their innate magic.

Picking up the pup with his jaw, Drachi ran him back to his mother. She received her pup gladly, rolling to her belly in submission to Drachi and even exposing herself to him. He let out a sharp breath and turned away. He had more important things to do than frolic with animals.

Setting off in a spring, he wove his way through the trees, lithely avoiding the snares and dangers of the forest floor. He had the scent now, the woman, though slightly different, was running through the forest.

She must be Azurean, he thought, catching up with her.

"Stop!" he called out ahead of him, using the common tongue, though it was difficult in wolf form, and sending tendrils of his magic coursing through the words. He said it as politely as he could, but it sounded rather harsh to him. Perhaps it was the lolling tongue and k-nines.

The loud voice that echoed through the forest caused all other sounds to stop. Ylma stopped running when she heard the mighty voice boom, "Stop!" Clearly he was an alpha to be able to carry his voice so far, but he was not hers. She belonged to no pack now.

"Who is this that orders me? I am of no pack, I am not yours," she barked in the Azurean tongue, soft growls issuing from her throat as she did so. Her fur bristled as she waited for him to show himself, she could already smell him.

Drachi walked forward slowly, his white fur glinting in the weak shafts of light, and kept a reasonable distance between himself and the new Azurean.
"This is my land," he began calmly. He met her gaze and sat down. "But I do not mean to order you to do anything against your will. I simply thought that if you stopped, it would be easier to have a conversation than if you continued to run. I heard your howl, and to me it sounded pained. Regardless of how you view yourself as not belonging to my pack, I have an obligation to attend to the needs of every Azurean who is upon my land."

He stood, his defined muscles rippling under the thick fur, and took a few slow steps towards her. "Are you alright?"

Although he was trying to be gentle with her, Ylma was still wary of this male. She stayed standing when he sat down, and remained on full alert. "I do not need your help, whether it is your obligation or not. Why do you need to have a conversation with me?" She stomped her paw in frustration. She wanted to leave, but somehow she knew that he would only follow her if she left before he was done talking to her.

Drachi sighed and stood.

"Call it instinct," he said, turning away. "It seems that you do not wish anyone to help you, in if it is only polite conversation." He looked over his shoulder at her, disappointed that she was being so cold to his good intentions. "If you ever have need of anything, let me know. I live deeper in the woods to the west."

Walking slowly, his head low, Drachi started to leave.

Obviously she had wounded him with her words, but why should she care? She didn't ask for his help, she was not of his pack, why should she care about him? Yet, she knew she shouldn't let him leave with her bitter words haunting him.

Trotting up next to him she spoke softly, "You didn't even give me your name sir, how is that polite conversation?"
I guess it can't hurt me to speak with him, maybe find out more about his pack.

He looked over at her with a half smile.

"You're right," he said. "My name is Drachi Boageen."

He was glad that she was talking to him, though whether it was because she felt she needed to talk to someone or because she felt guilty for being so harsh, he did not know. He could feel her presence beside him, walking quietly through the dark forest, and it was surprisingly pleasant. He dared to hope, even if only for a moment, that she might consider joining the pack. But he decided it would be best to let her do as she chose.

"What's your name?" he asked softly as they walked, his white fur contrasting with her black.

"Drachi, that is a strong name, it's fitting for you," she walked quietly behind him, admiring the forest as they walked through it. It was still quiet, as if the mere presence of this great Azurean had hushed the forest into submission. "My name is Ylma Achan, I was the daughter of our pack's Alpha, until they were all destroyed. I am the only one left, and the ones who did this to us will pay," a soft growl came from her throat as she spoke the last words. Anger filled her vision as they continued walking. So much pain that day, so much sorrow.

Drachi stopped and inclined his head to her.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Ylma," he said sincerely. He, too, had experienced similar pain. "Many years ago, human came to our home and killed my father, the Alpha, as well as my mate and our two children. I understand how painful it can be."

He continued walking on, trying bury his own memories again. He glanced at her from time to time, trying to find words to comfort her, but nothing came to his mind. Then he remembered something that always helped him calm himself and take comfort in what has survived.

"Come with me," he said with sudden excitement, running off to their left.

Ylma looked away as Drachi spoke about his own loss. Obviously he had found easier ways to cope, he would not have become Alpha otherwise. Suddenly, he took off running, calling for her to follow him. She stood there for a second, and tilted her head, then ran off to follow him.

He was fast, but she had always been known for her speed and agility in her tribe, and she was able to catch up to him quickly. "Where are you taking me?" she asked him. She was still a little nervous being around him, but she tried not to show her fear. Showing your fear could mean your death in this forest.

Drachi saw her fear, but just passed it off. He could understand it. He was sure he would feel the same if he were in her position.

"You'll see," he said as he ran, excited and hoping this would help her. "It's just on the other side of the tree line, in the valley."

A thought suddenly struck him. He did not know how Ylma would react to being outside the forest. Glancing over at her, he silently prayed that she would venture into the valley with him, for her own sake.

"The valley?" she asked warily. She hadn't been outside of the forest in years. Humans found it was the easy to pick off any unwary animals or Azureans that wandered into the unprotected space. There was little to no cover in that place, making it very dangerous. She sniffed the air, searching for any sign of human or other unwanted disturbances before continuing. Sensing nothing, she continued to follow Drachi.

"I will go with you Drachi, but you know as well as I the dangers of walking into the open like this. Humans hate us, and the ones in this area can tell the difference between their kin and Azureans in human form, so changing will not do us any good here."

Drachi smiled at her and winked. He knew the humans could tell the difference between a true human and an Azurean, but there was always one detail that could befuddle the humans for a few moments, giving them the time they would need.

"I know," he told her, stopping at the edge of the forest. It was almost unnatural how suddenly the trees stopped and the plains began, as if the two terrains were at war with each other just as the humans and Azureans were. "But we'll be okay. I've gone there many times. Well, time to change."

Taking a few steps away from Ylma, Drachi started to change. His forelegs elongated, as did his hind legs. His fur began to disappear as white-tanned skin appeared. His eyes remained their deep emerald color, while his hair turned a light blond color and hung down to his muscled shoulders. In human form, Drachi was tall, just over six feet, and well-built from years of hard labor and fighting. His skin was tanned from days spent in sun, even though the forest was dark.

"There," he said, smiling and looking out across the plains. Then he glanced down at himself and hid a grin. "Ooops! I'm sorry." He delayed quickly summoning clothing to cover his body for a moment. But then, in a blink, he was dressed in leather armor with a thin dueling sword at his hip. "Is that better?"

Ylma turned aside as Drachi changed from wolf to human form. She did not feel it was appropriate for her to watch him. After he clothed himself, she looked up and saw that he was quite handsome. He was tall, strong and scarred, qualities that many Azurean women looked for in a mate, and she was no exception.

"I will be just a moment," she called to him from behind some trees. As she changed, her hair grew longer on her head and hung her waist. Her eyes were pale grey and her skin smooth and light. Quickly summoning her magic, she dressed herself in her usual ware, lightweight black leather armor. She also conjured up a bow and quiver of arrows, along with a pair of knives in her belt.

She stepped out to meet Drachi and asked, "You have been to this place before and you haven't been caught or followed by the humans? I'm impressed. So where are we going now?"

Drachi looked at Ylma, silently admiring her.

"Yes, I've done it many times," he said, stepping out into the valley. He motioned for her to stand beside him. "But you'll need to be closer. From a long ways off, they can't tell we're Azurean; it's only when they get closer they can see our true nature. But from afar, we'll just look like to people enjoying each others company on a beautiful day."

He smiled up at the clear blue sky. Few clouds marred its beauty and a soft breeze blew across the plains, rippling the long grasses in a sea of waves. He turned and looked at Ylma. "Very beautiful, yes?"

She came and stood beside Drachi, feeling the warm breeze on her face.

"Yes it is quite beautiful," she answered. Her hair blew out behind her as a strong gust blew through the valley. Along with the wind, came the smell of humans. "We better be careful Drachi, we are not alone here." Her hand tightened around the hilt of one of her knives as the pair continued walking through the valley.

"Lead on, and show me this place of yours. I just hope we don't find trouble waiting for us."

Drachi lowered his head.

"I'm ashamed, but I must confess something," he said as a lone man on a horse approached them from the direction of the nearest human settlement. "It is not so much a place that I want to show you, as it is a person. Just after my clan was attacked, I was so filled with rage against humans it nearly drove me insane. I hunted them and killed them for a long time, collecting clothing, weapons, scalps, and even fingers from my slain foes." He paused and turned into the wind, letting it blow through his hair and across his skin. "That rage nearly consumed me, nearly destroyed who I was by turning me into a thing."

The man was much closer now. He was tall, and rode his horse calmly and with an aura of one who had ridden for many years. His hair was long and black, and he wore simple clothing, much like a farmer. But protruding above his shoulders were two twin hilts, slightly curved.

"It took someone else to pull me from that rage. How did he do it? By beating some sense into me. And I mean that." Drachi looked at the man approaching and waved, smiling.

"Drachi!" the man shouted, smiling in turn. He was close enough, now, to see that his eyes were a dark color, with a hint of red in them. He was very well muscled, with multiple scars along his jaw and bare arms. "It's good to see you!"

"And you," Drachi said as the man leaped from his horse and landed in a run to embrace him. Turning to Ylma, with an arm over the shoulder of the man, Drachi's face became serious. "Ylma, this is my good friend, Mar."

Ylma stiffened when she smelled the man riding towards them on horseback. What is he thinking? A human? Her hand instinctively dropped to the hilt of one of her knives, as she looked back at Drachi. He simply stood there calmly, waiting for the man, and telling her about his own past sorrows. Her heart ached for him when he spoke of his own clan being attacked by the humans. The man was getting even closer, and still Drachi did not move.

"Drachi!" Came the man's voice as he dismounted from his horse. The pair embraced and Drachi turned towards Ylma, introducing the man as Mar. She was in shock. This is who he brought me to see? She inclined her head slightly, but did not walk any closer. This could be a trap, she still did not know Drachi very well, and he had led her into one of the most vulnerable areas of their homeland.

"What are you thinking Drachi? He's a human, do you mean to kill me?" Her eyes darted around the clearing for any sign of other humans, her senses were on full alert. Taking a few steps back, a soft growl escaped her throat. "How can I trust you Drachi?"

Drachi gave Ylma a level look, his eyes narrowing. "I brought you here so you can see that not all humans are evil," he said quietly, anger building in his voice as she questioned his integrity. He regained control over his voice and continued, "I brought you here so that you can throw aside some of that hate that hovers around you like an impenetrable cloud. You hide behind it, as I once did. Mar helped me. Maybe he can help you find yourself again."

Mar inclined his head to Ylma. He could see the anger and hesitation building within her. Casually, Mar reached back and unclasped his swords so that they fell to the ground behind him.
"I'm unarmed and alone," he assured her, lifting his hands to show his empty palms. "Not all humans are murderers and brigands. Do not use the actions of a few to judge the whole."

"And how will he teach me that Drachi?" She kept her eyes on Mar, even after he dropped his swords on the ground.
"That may be sir," she replied to Mar, "but I have yet to meet a human that is friendly towards my people. Our kind have been enemies for hundreds of years. Do not assume that I would trust you so quickly, even with your weapons on the floor, you are still dangerous in my eyes.

"Your build, your stance, even the way you speak, it is obvious that you are a soldier, or were at one point, and any soldier can fight well enough without his weapons," she walked right up to Mar and stared into his eyes, "I do not trust you human, and it will be a long time for you to change that, if you ever do.

"I will stay for awhile Drachi, and see what I may learn, but next time we meet, I expect the full truth from you if ever you take me somewhere again."

Drachi sighed and wiped at his face. He turned to Mar and raised an eyebrow. "Was I like this when we first met?" he asked, a soft chuckle escaping his lips. Turning back to Ylma, he said, "I know it may take some getting used to, but at least try to make an effort to see that not all humans are bad, Ylma."

Drachi started to pace around them, looking up at the sky. "There are individuals and then there are groups. Mar is an individual, and as such has his own unique outlook on life and all its intricacies. Mar is a member of a group, as well. He is very much human. But one can still remain unique and different even when a member of a larger, and sometimes violent, group." He stopped and looked directly at Ylma. "You're very hatred for the humans because of the actions of a small group helps them perpetuate the same hatred for our people. They see your hatred and think that it is inherent within all the Azureans, just as you look at humans and see nothing but their petty violence and cruelty. Such baseness breeds nothing but more of the same. Thus, your isolated experience and view of humans, no matter how misinformed or justifiable, helps turn that incorrect and generalized view into reality for us all."



Mar stood back, watching this Ylma. She was wary and obviously had no ounce of trust for humans, no matter how well intentioned they could be. He sighed, hearing Drachi's words. The Azurean leader spoke true, but his method could be put into question.

"Drachi," he said at last. "You know, as well as I, that things like this take time. We cannot expect Ylma to fully trust or understand me, let alone other humans, upon the first meeting. Give her time. She is recovering from some experience that has no doubt left a terrible mark. Such wounds take time to heal." Mar turned to Ylma and smiled, then picked up his swords and belted them back onto his back. "Perhaps in the future, Ylma," he continued, walking slowly back to his horse, "we can have relaxed conversations and get to know one another. I think I will bring my wife next time. I'm sure two women, even of different races, can gang up on and overwhelm two men."

Smiling down at Drachi and Ylma, Mar inclined his head and rode off back to the small town he lived in. He saw a long road ahead, one filled with disagreements and clashes of personality, but he hoped Ylma would soon find solace and comfort within herself.

Ylma stepped back a bit as the two men gave their answers to her angry comments. She felt a slight pang of regret when Drachi spoke, he had after all shown her kindness and had only wanted to help her. She still couldn't bring herself to trust this man yet. He had a dangerous smell to him, no matter how Drachi painted him to be. She would keep an eye on this one, but she was taken aback by what he said next.

"I think I will bring my wife next time. I'm sure two women, even of different races, can gang up on and overwhelm two men," he then pulled himself onto his horse and rode away after acknowledging them.

"He is different, your friend," she said to Drachi, "but you cannot expect me to trust him right away. He must earn that, as I am sure I must earn his. Why would he bring his wife though? This forest is dangerous enough as it is for him to be here on his own!"

In reality, she was slightly intrigued to meet the woman that the odd soldier had taken as his mate. If she was anything like him, this would be interesting indeed. She is still a human though, so I must be wary around her, she thought to herself. "You are right though Drachi, I shall think on everything that has happened so far and your words. For now, let us leave this open valley," so saying she threw away her human form and became the black wolf again, her clothes and weapons fading away into smoke as her body became covered in fur.

Let us see what other adventures find us this day Drachi! I find myself in need of a good hunt! Catch me if you can! And so saying, she took off running back to the forest.